After igniting a firestorm of controversy with a series of online attacks against President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk has walked back some of his most explosive remarks, admitting that his posts “went too far.”
The dramatic about-face came just days after a very public falling-out between the world’s richest man and the president, two once-close allies whose partnership seemed unshakable until it unraveled in real time.
Musk and Trump had, for nearly a year, maintained a tight relationship, with the Tesla CEO frequently referring to himself as the president’s “First Buddy.” That alliance seemed cemented when Musk donated nearly $300 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign and was tapped to lead the informal “Department of Government Efficiency,” known as DOGE.
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But Musk’s tenure at DOGE lasted only five months. Though he claimed the position was always intended to be temporary, his resignation was followed barely a week later by a barrage of criticisms directed at Trump.
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Among his most inflammatory statements, Musk questioned the president’s economic policies, slamming Trump’s tax reforms, dubbing the “Big Beautiful Bill,” as fiscally reckless and warning that they would expand the national deficit. He also condemned Trump’s protectionist trade measures, warning that “tariffs on foreign imports would cause a recession in the second half of the year.”
Even more shocking were Musk’s allegations linking Trump to files associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also went so far as to voice support for impeachment proceedings against the president.
By Wednesday, however, Musk appeared to signal a retreat, writing on X: “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far.” However, he did not specify which posts he meant.
I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2025
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The fallout from Musk’s comments was swift. President Donald Trump, in an interview with ABC News, dismissed the tech mogul as having “lost his mind” and threatened to sever federal ties with his companies. The president also claimed he had asked Musk to leave his White House role after a dispute over electric vehicle policies. According to Trump, Musk had pushed back on the administration’s plans to roll back mandates, changes that could threaten Tesla’s market share.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added fuel to the political drama, calling the incident “an unfortunate episode from Elon.”
Elon Musk, for his part, deleted some of the more incendiary posts, including his Epstein accusations, just two days after they were made. President Trump has yet to publicly respond to Musk’s retraction. Interesting times ahead!
READ ALSO: ‘Disappointed’ Elon Musk criticizes Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” for ballooning deficit
